Jr Suite Vs Connecting Rooms

[fabstar]

It's been over 10 years since my hubby and I cruised for our honeymoon.  Now we're taking our 3 boys - 12, 9, 6 - in April 2021.  We're sailing on the Anthem and on a budget.  Should we do connecting balcony rooms or jr suite?  More sq footage with connecting, but also about 1K more.  

[rockmom]

To me, $1K more would be worth it for the extra bathroom alone when you have 5 people.  

[Hogbay]

Start saving ... first day sign them up for kids club 🙂

[Hogbay]

and hubby to use boys toilet 

[rockmom]

Also, those beds are small, trying to fit 5 with 2 on a sofa bed and 1 in a pullman will be really tight, even if one is only 6.  

[gerif]

No question. Two cabins for sure. 

[bobmacliberty]

Agree with 2 connecting rooms.  Gives you both bathroom and bed flexibility.  I have 2 daughters though and I'm guessing that 2 bathrooms is much more important to 2 girls (and a wife) than to 3 boys.  Ultimately, it probably depends on if your boys would enjoy being in a separate cabin (made my girls feel more grown up with their own cabin), or would rather be in the same cabin as you.

[SG65CB]

Balcony for you, inside cabin across the hall for the boys. Save some money. 

[Doug S]

When our 3 boys were about those same ages our go-to booking was a balcony for us and an inside directly across the hall for them. They liked the inside room and we were able to spend a bit more on them for soda packages and arcade funds and such. Momma (and I) would have gone nuts with the 'messy' boys. Gave them a bathroom, and their own space . And we got our own space as well. We never felt we didn't have sufficient oversight/control if they were across the hall. and a bit less fussing over picking up their stuff.

[Doug S]

12 minutes ago, SG65CB said:

Balcony for you, inside cabin across the hall for the boys. Save some money. 

 ya beat me to it...

[TwinMamainMN]

Apparently, I am in the minority, but I'd go Jr. Suite and have the kids with us. Hubby and I are not comfortable with our kids (at similar ages) being in a room by themselves. Actually, we are sailing in January with our 3 kids that will be 12, 12, and 9. We were going to book a cabin for 5 (on Symphony I think), but then my mom said she would sail too and offered to have our 12 yr. old son with her. The other 4 of us will be in an accessible room which we need for our daughter that uses a wheelchair for long distances and walks with forearm crutches.

[rockmom]

5 minutes ago, TwinMamainMN said:

Apparently, I am in the minority, but I'd go Jr. Suite and have the kids with us. Hubby and I are not comfortable with our kids (at similar ages) being in a room by themselves. Actually, we are sailing in January with our 3 kids that will be 12, 12, and 9. We were going to book a cabin for 5 (on Symphony I think), but then my mom said she would sail too and offered to have our 12 yr. old son with her. The other 4 of us will be in an accessible room which we need for our daughter that uses a wheelchair for long distances and walks with forearm crutches.

If they go with actual connecting rooms there's the door on the wall, you just leave the door between the two open.  It's basically a 2 bedroom/2 bath when you do that.  You can see into each other's cabin without going into the hall.  

[TwinMamainMN]

Just now, rockmom said:

If they go with actual connecting rooms there's the door on the wall, you just leave the door between the two open.  It's basically a 2 bedroom/2 bath when you do that.  You can see into each other's cabin without going into the hall.  

 

Okay. Point well taken. I don't know why I didn't think of it that way. I knew about the connecting door but didn't put the two together that way. Lesson learned.

[rockmom]

6 minutes ago, TwinMamainMN said:

 

Okay. Point well taken. I don't know why I didn't think of it that way. I knew about the connecting door but didn't put the two together that way. Lesson learned.

I get what you were saying though. I wouldn't be comfortable with the rooms next door or across the hall plan either, I'd only do the connecting one. My 3 grandsons cook up way too many wacky ideas for me not to have one eye on them at all times.  😄

Edited March 6, 2020 by rockmom

[Dunfer]

My husband and I, our two adult daughters, and 5 year old granddaughter, stayed in an aft JS on Brilliance. We honestly were not too crowded. My daughter and her daughter slept on the sofa bed, my other daughter slept on a roll away, and we used the walk in closet to change. NO one complained at all, even my husband who was stuck with 4 females in the same cabin for 5 nights! It was a wonderful family cruise! Now, had we been quarantined, it might have had a different outcome.

[Cutigerlady]

We have done the connecting and adjoining and not connecting with our boys. I would want connecting with the age of your boys. Mine are old enough that they have phones and we could communicate with them (all had internet packages). I would take 2 connecting ocean view or interior rooms to save money.  With a six year old I would prefer that to a balcony anyway if I wasn’t in the same room to hear them opening the balcony door. 

[cb at sea]

Connecting....while a JS is a lovely space, it's certainly not as "lovely" with 5 in one cabin!  No privacy at all.   

[Doug S]

1 hour ago, rockmom said:

I get what you were saying though. I wouldn't be comfortable with the rooms next door or across the hall plan either, I'd only do the connecting one. My 3 grandsons cook up way too many wacky ideas for me not to have one eye on them at all times.  😄

 Which is why a balcony, even a connecting one, may not be the best choice. 😁

[KelSny1011]

I'm a fan of separate rooms.  Whether its conjoined, balconies conjoined or even two rooms not far from each other.  That has always worked the best for us bc I dont want to be fighting with 3 other people to use the bathroom and I also dont want to feel ontop of each other.  

Edited March 6, 2020 by KelSny1011

[kermit99]

Connecting. We always consider a JS but then always decide that you can’t beat having the extra bathroom, and we only have 4 people.

 
If you’re looking to save I’d look into connecting insides. This is our go to room selection. We like being out and about the ship so don’t mind an inside. But, we have done connecting balconies when the prices is right. We have talked about switching to one inside one balcony now that they are even older (17 &13) and I’m much more confident in their ability to handle it.  
 

[bonsai3s]

5 hours ago, SG65CB said:

Balcony for you, inside cabin across the hall for the boys. Save some money. 

 

Agree with this....worked well for us.....note: the kids got a little carried away ordering room service. 😆

[spookwife]

13 hours ago, fabstar said:

It's been over 10 years since my hubby and I cruised for our honeymoon.  Now we're taking our 3 boys - 12, 9, 6 - in April 2021.  We're sailing on the Anthem and on a budget.  Should we do connecting balcony rooms or jr suite?  More sq footage with connecting, but also about 1K more.  

better suggestion: book the balcony for yourselves and an interior across the hall for the kids.  , or book connecting Promenade /interior balcony rooms

 

[Mapleleafforever]

2 cabins hands down IMO. Gonna need to the extra bathroom.

[MommaBear55]

11 hours ago, cb at sea said:

Connecting....while a JS is a lovely space, it's certainly not as "lovely" with 5 in one cabin!  No privacy at all.   

It's very nice to have the privacy... Impossible to have romance with kids in the room. 

[fabstar]

You all are awesome 🙂. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences!!!  We probably could have squeezed into a jr suite OK (we're used to camping in a tiny travel trailer) but adjoining rooms it is!